Every king wears a crown, but every iconic rapper sports his own particular style of hat. Whether it’s LL Cool J in his Kangol or Jigga in his classic Yankees cap, the great ones are known for covering the dome.

Topping the charts, launching a global phenomenon, topping the charts, breaking records, and today the New York Daily News informs us that K-pop’s unassuming star Psy is working miracles now, too. Because, babies they just love him! As The New York Daily Newshas found, babies go “gaga for Gangnam,'” and so parents the world wide have turned to the satirical video to calm their cranky kids. As evidence, they present two such babes: the adorable Benjamin of London, who seems to figure lunch is best served with a little giddy-up; and little Claire of West Virginia, above, who knows that tears are a major “Gangnam Style” faux-pas. It’s hard to say what exactly these kids like — the bounce, the bright lights, the sharp satire of Korea’s nouveau riche — because the parents in the story seems most interested in the fact that it works, and every time. And who could blame them?

Because there’s nothing better than getting your groove on and your kid quiet at the same time, we’ve found five other artists that seem to possess the same magic that calms a cranky baby. Like all the parenting manuals say: YouTube, a real modern parents’ helper!

Who doesn’t love flashbacks, particularly to hip hop’s golden era of the late 80s and early 90s? Television and music in that era were so badass, and the fashion? Well, that had it’s ups and down. However, there’s no arguing that this era was when hip hop expanded from a genre to a global culture, and throughout it all, Yo! MTV Raps was at the forefront of the movement documenting classic moments of hip hop culture.

Watch Janelle Monae Cover Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”Janelle Monae played a truly sexy, sultry cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” at her concert last night in Papantla, Mexcio. And despite the fan made hand held phone footage, it’s easy to see how wonderfully Monae performed the iconic song, and that you would have had chills coursing down your spine had you seen it live. [CoS]

What Happens When A Mashup Is Better Than The Sum Of Its Parts?
The answer is this: “Every Tear Drop Has A Super Bass”. Featuring Sean Paul, Coldplay, Nicki Minaj, and Childish Gambino this mashup is better than any of the songs included. So good in fact, we think the mash up should be a song; any chance the artists involved would be interested in a collaboration? [Buzz Feed]

The Notorious L.D.R.
Speaking of mashups, what do you get when you cross Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die with The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die? You get Born Ready To Die, that’s what! [Mixstream]

Today marks the 15th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G‘s assassination, and if you don’t know, well, now you know. Biggie’s legacy has been lasting — from thaticonic dance scene in 10 Things I Hate About You featuring “Hypnotize”, to Rita Ora’s recent sample of “Party & Bullsh*t” in her new track of the same name, after 15 years, Biggie continues to be both pervasive and influential. Biggie, born Christopher George Latore Wallace, is an icon of hip hop, and a pioneer of East Coast rap, drawing attention to artists from New York at a time when West Coast rap was generally favored in the mainstream. He was murdered exactly 15 years ago today on March 9, 1997, and his killer is yet to be found. His posthumously released and poignantly titled album Life After Death, was released 15 days later to critical acclaim, reaching the pinnacle of number one on the US charts, proving that the legend of an artist is all the life that is needed to sustain their vision, even after they are passed.

Taylor Swift has been blazing across the country on her Speak Now tour, and in her warm, earnest way, she’s been welcoming city-specific guests to share the stage with her while she pays unique tributes to all the towns she visits. And now, on the final leg of her tour, Taylor is in that town, New York City, and the opportunities for tributes and guests are almost endless. For her first New York show last night at Madison Square Garden, Taylor played “one of the greatest songs ever written,” The Goo Goo Dolls‘ “Iris,” with the band’s frontman Johnny Rzeznik. With one last show set to light up the Garden tonight, we’re speculating who of the New York set will join Taylor on stage. Will it be a Strokes affair? Mother Monster? Or a spectral visitor from the afterlife?

Following the announcement that Amy Winehouse‘s first posthumous album will be released a mere four months after her death on July 23, we started wondering how that timeline compared to some of history’s other notable posthumous record releases. From Nirvana to the Notorious B.I.G., we take a look back at the often uneasy relationship between art and commerce.

Artist:The Notorious B.I.GDied: March 9, 2007Album:Life After DeathRelease Date: March 25, 2007Speed To Market: 16 days

Artist:Otis ReddingDied: December 10, 1967Album:(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The BayRelease Date: January 8, 1968Speed To Market: 29 days

Artist:TupacDied: September 7, 1996Album:The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day TheoryRelease Date: November 5, 1996Speed To Market: 59 days

Beyoncé Reveals “Countdown” Sneak Peek
Ready for a new Beyoncé video? (Is the answer ever not yes?) MTV’s Buzzworthy blog has the first 30 seconds of the video for “Countdown,” which premieres on Thursday. It’s simple yet ultra-stylized: sixties-chic by way of Sesame Street. Random fact: director Adria Petty is the daughter of Tom Petty. [MTV Buzzworthy]